Carbylamine

/ˌkɑːr.bɪˈleɪ.miːn/ noun

Definition

A chemical compound derived from an organic compound containing both a carbyl group and an amine group; an isocyanide.

Etymology

From carbyl + amine (nitrogen-containing functional group). Chemical nomenclature term coined in 19th-century organic chemistry.

Kelly Says

Carbylamines have a notorious stench—the isocyanide smell is so distinctive that chemists use it as a test to identify primary amines in the lab. It's one of the worst smells in chemistry, described as like musty fish or old horse radish.

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